Storage devices

ABSTRACT

A transportable closet rolls on rails mounted near the ceiling line of a closet. A cable, block, and tackle arrangement is included in the closet to raise and lower the cargo of clothes therein as the closet is moved into and out of dead storage. Thus, the weight of the clothes counterbalances the weight of the closet and makes it easy to roll the closet.

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,583,971 5/1926 Hammond et a1. 312/247 X 2,499,791 3/1950 Spencer 312/247 X 2,702,176 2/1955 Dolle 248/323 Primary Examiner-James C. Mitchell Attorney-Alter, Weiss & Whitesel ABSTRACT: A transportable closet rolls on rails mounted near the ceiling line of a closet. A cable, block, and tackle arrangement is included in the closet to raise and lower the cargo of clothes therein as the closet is moved into and out of dead storage. Thus, the weight of the clothes counterbalances the weight of the closet and makes it easy to roll the closet.

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STORAGE DEVICES My invention relates to storage devices, and more particularly to a clothes storage device for suspension in a stair well.

Stair wells contain and support inclined stairs which run diagonally across the width of a house. If two stairs are positioned above or below each other, each runs parallel the other. and there is no waste space. However, if a staircase runs downwardly, only, there is a wasted space above the foot of the stair where the stair well extends upwardly for the height of two floors. The wasted space provides an ideal location for storage of material which is not in current use, such as out of season clothes. The wasted space is not in any used area, and yet the door to the stair way is usually in a very convenient lo cation. Thus, this is an ideal storage location.

An object of the invention is to provide a storage device for occupying a remote storage space, especially in a stair well, without in any manner interfering with the existing stair space.

Another object of my invention is to provide a storage device which may be suspended near the ceiling of a hallway, or the like over and above a stairway.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device which may be moved into a position for use, and out of the way when not in use.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the device constituting my invention, moved to an out of the way position suspended over the foot of a stairway;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the device shown in FIG. 1, moved forward to provide access to the contents disposed therein; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic fragmentary cross-sectional view of one side of the storage unit showing its support and a cargo elevating structure therein.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts and features throughout the several views. More particularly, the reference character identifies a storage enclosure such as a rolling closet, for example. The closet consists of a rear wall ll, two sidewalls I2, and an angularly disposed lower plate 13. The front of the enclosure 10 may be equipped with a swinging door 14 which is hingedly supported as shown at 15. A horizontally disposed bottom or floor plate 16 is hingedly supported at 17 to the rear wall 11. The floor plate 16 may be raised to give access to an enclosure shown as 18, for storing shoes, or the like.

FIG. 1 and 2 show the ceiling of the building structure as 19, the rear wall of the stair well at 20, and the stairway schematically at 21. A dual track rail 22 (FIG. 3) may be supported from either the wall or the ceiling 19, as shown at 23. These dual rails provide a relative great stability so that normally no other support is required. If it is, a horizontal wheel may be positioned on the bottom of the closet to run along the wall. The enclosure 10 is entirely supported at its top by rollers 24. These rollers may be attached to the sidewalls 12 of the closet at 25. The roller and rail combination enables a movement of the enclosure 10 to either of the positions shown in FIG. 1 and 2. The rail 22 may be inclined slightly to enable the enclosure 10 to be maneuvered into position in either the out of the way rearward location or the forward loading position, where the contents of the enclosure is to be removed or replaced.

A cord 26 is attached to the front wall at 27 of the building structure and strung along the rail 22. This cord 26 extends inwardly through the stair well to a pulley 28 attached to the sidewall 12 of the closet. This pulley 28 supports the upper portion 29 of a conventional block and tackle arrangement. A lower portion 30 of the block and tackle supports a hanger rod 31, on which clothes or other objects (not shown) are supported within the enclosure 10. This block and tackle arrangement is here shown as being disposed within an elongated vertical opening 32 in an inner portion 12, which is an integral part of the sidewall 12 of the enclosure 10.

When the enclosure 10 is at the back of the stair well, the

cord 26 is drawn out and the hanger 31 is lifted to an upper position. As the enclosure 10 is moved forward to a position as shown in FIG. 2, the hanger rod 31 supported by the cord 26 moves downwardly as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the lowered clothes are easily accessible when supported on hangers (not shown), on the rod 31. An important advantage of this invention is that the clothes may be used to counter balance the weight of the moving closet. This improves and facilitates movement of the portable closet.

From the above description, it should be apparent that the device is easy to manipulate and requires no special mechanical skill. Although I have shown a specific construction of the parts and features of the closet, many changes may be made without effecting the operativeness of the device. Therefore, the claims are to be construed to cover all equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

I. A movable closet comprising a rail having a container suspended therefrom, means in said closet for suspending goods therefrom, and block and tackle means including a cord for raising and lowering said suspending means, said cord being strung along said rail to raise said block and tackle when said closet is moved to one end of the rail and lower the block and tackle when said closet is moved to the other end of the rail.

2. The closet of claim 1 wherein said rail has two tracks, and said suspending means counterbalances the weight of the closet.

3. The closet of claim 1 wherein said rail runs near the ceiling line of a dead space at the top of a stair well.

4. The closet of claim 3 wherein the bottom of said closet is slanted to parallel the stairs in said well.

5. The closet of claim 3 wherein said rail is inclined to provide a stable position for said closet at one end of its travel.

6. The close of claim I wherein one sidewall of said closet includes a slot for receiving said block and tackle.

7. The closet of claim 1 and means comprising a hinged bottom in said closet for providing storage space beneath said suspended means.

i i i 

1. A movable closet comprising a rail having a container suspended therefrom, means in said closet for suspending goods therefrom, and block and tackle means including a cord for raising and lowering said suspending means, said cord being strung along said rail to raise said block and tackle when said closet is moved to one end of the rail and lower the block and tackle when said closet is moved to the other end of the rail.
 2. The closet of claim 1 wherein said rail has two tracks, and said suspending means counterbalances the weight of the closet.
 3. The closet of claim 1 wherein said rail runs near the ceiling line of a dead space at the top of a stair well.
 4. The closet of claim 3 wherein the bottom of said closet is slanted to parallel the stairs in said well.
 5. The closet of claim 3 wherein said rail is inclined to provide a stable position for said closet at one end of its travel.
 6. The close of claim 1 wherein one sidewall of said closet includes a slot for receiving said block and tackle.
 7. The closet of claim 1 and means comprising a hinged bottom in said closet for providing storage space beneath said suspended means. 